Ethics Of Fracking Essay

When confronted with an obstacle, the easiest and the most efficient way to achieve a resolution is always the most desired; however, when assessing the act of fracking, it may be one hole that should not be drilled. Fracking is the process of using hydraulic machinery to access oil and gas in areas of the Earth’s crust that are otherwise hard to retrieve. Where there are some benefits to using this system, the consequences of fracking are far more catastrophic to our environment. Ethically, fracking is cataclysmic to the terrain and its inhabitants, as the process can cause seismic activity (eliciting an earthquake), pollute aquafers (contaminating drinking water), and even releases greenhouse emissions.
Although the process of fracking may appear to be nonconsequential to some, the act of fracking can be, quite literally, earthshattering. Earthquakes are commonly associated with the natural tectonic shifting of the Earth’s crust, however, through man’s use of hydraulic fracturing has been scientifically proven to elicit seismic activity. To put the process of how seismic activity can occur from fracking, Cliff Frohlich, a research scientist at the Institute of Geophysics at the University of Texas in …show more content…
Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, is one of the primary gases that leaks from fracturing processes. In an article published by the Environmental Defense Fund by Chief Scientist, Steve Hamburg, Hamburg shares when methane is released into the environment before being consumed, “it absorbs the sun’s heat, warming the atmosphere . . . For this reason, it’s considered a greenhouse gas, like carbon dioxide.” The heat trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere causes the climate the change, such as melting glaciers (causing the sea levels to rise) and longer heat waves (causing a loss in